Elon Musk, founder of xAI and co-founder of OpenAI, reportedly sought Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s assistance in financing a $97.4 billion takeover of OpenAI in early 2025, according to recent court filings.
These filings are part of an ongoing legal battle between Musk and OpenAI, initiated last year and currently unfolding in a federal court in Northern California. The dispute arose when Musk became critical of OpenAI and CEO Sam Altman’s move to transition the company into a for-profit entity.
Musk, who launched xAI in 2023 with the intention of creating a competitor to OpenAI, subsequently sued OpenAI, alleging breach of contract and attempting to prevent the for-profit conversion. OpenAI’s counterclaims accuse Musk and xAI of orchestrating a “sham bid” that damaged its business and allege that Musk has engaged in “harassment” through litigation, social media attacks, and public statements.
As part of its legal strategy, OpenAI has filed to subpoena Meta for communications between the company, Zuckerberg, and Musk regarding the proposed takeover. OpenAI stated in a court filing that Musk and xAI approached Zuckerberg with a letter of intent, seeking potential financing arrangements for the takeover. However, neither Zuckerberg nor Meta signed the letter of intent.
A Meta spokesperson declined to comment on the matter. OpenAI’s filing also highlights Meta’s significant investments in developing its own AI capabilities and its efforts to recruit OpenAI employees, allegedly offering compensation packages of $100 million or more to leading AI researchers.
Meta has contested OpenAI’s document requests, arguing they are excessively burdensome and suggesting that OpenAI should instead seek relevant communications from Musk and xAI directly.
